RUGBY FOOTBALL

Te Puke Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 61, 2 August 1938, Page 2

RUGBY FOOTBALL

ROTORUA DEFEAT TE PUKE

IN SENIOR AND JUNIOR MATCHES

By defeating Te Pake, Rotorua senior representatives won the right to contest the final of the Parata ’ Cup series against the winning team > of the eastern zone. . The junior * representatives played an exciting > game to retain the Shalfoon Shield ! in a challenge match with Te Puke ’ juniors. SENIOR MATCH As the score of nine points to eight indicates, the senior game was . exceptionally close, the final issue , being in doubt right up to the last few minutes of play. Both sides . fielded strong teams, and'it was a hard fought struggle from beginning ■ to end. with the Te Puke forwards , and the Rotorua backs bearing the brunt of the work. However, the home forwards were not lacking in fight and worked well in the scrums to feed their back line. The majority of the attacking movements came from the base of the scrum, where the young half-back, Ahipene, showed a great improvement on his previous form, and successfully emanated Wi Kaipara’s dive past. Rotorua’s score was made up from two tries and a penalty,., kick, while Te Puke’s score comprised two tries, one of which was converted. JUNIOR MATCH The junior game, too, was productive of good, clean football, in which many thrilling movements were seen. At no stage of the game was play really uninteresting, and there were many spectacular moments to keep alive the interest and enthusiasm of the spectators. It could be seen clearly that the home team was superior to the visitors, i but Te Puke put up a surprisingly 1 stubborn defence, and the final score 1 was only 13 points to 5 in favour of i Rotorua. 1

REPRESENTATIVE MATCH Tomorrow afternoon the Central Hawkes’ Bay representatives will visit Te Puke and play the combined Te Puke-Tauranga-Rangitaiki team. The match should prove an exceptionally interesting one, and it is expected the local team will hold its own against the visitors. The match will commence at 2.45 p.m., and will be preceded by a curtain raiser, Primary School v. High School 8., at 1.30 p.m.

The combined tearn, is as follows

Backs—Laurie (R), Graham and Wilson (T.P.), Rayment (T), M. Lees (R), Ahimiro and Mann )T.P.). Forwards— Kersberg, McLeod, Rolleston and Kaukau (T), P. Webber, Nicholson, Satherly (T.P.), P. Lees (R). Emergencies Forwards: Hughes and Ollivier ; Backs: Tapsell and McKenzie.